Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
The next hour passed in a blur as they got to the house in La Jolla, which was a beautiful three-bedroom property on a bluff with a view of the ocean. It seemed like the perfect place for her mother to get her strength back. Hunter stayed out on the deck while she and her aunt helped her mother shower and change. Then Linda put out a platter of deli meats, bread, fruit, and vegetables, a celebratory lunch that was just another example of her determined optimism to get her sister back.
Emmalyn had always been grateful for everything her aunt had done for her, but now she realized she'd gotten a lot of her determination from her as well. When she'd left her mom to live with Linda, she'd traded a very weak role model for a very strong one, something else she needed to be thankful for.
As they sat down at the table, her mother was subdued, but she did eat, which was a good sign. Emmalyn felt bad about subjecting Hunter to a somewhat awkward lunch, but he'd told her he had nowhere to be until three, so he was staying until then or until she was ready to leave.
"So, Hunter," Linda began, breaking the silence. "Emmalyn said you're a neighbor."
"That's right."
"What do you do for a living?"
She tensed at Linda's question, knowing how sensitive Hunter was to answering questions about himself.
"I'm a helicopter pilot in the Marine Corps," he replied. "I was injured several months ago, and I've been recuperating at Ocean Shores."
"Oh. I'm sorry to hear you were hurt," Linda said. "But thank you for your service."
He tipped his head. "I'm back to one hundred percent now. Just waiting to be officially reinstated."
"Will you be deployed after that?" Linda asked.
"I'm not sure where they'll send me. But I'll go wherever they need me. That's the job."
His words reminded her that their friendship had an expiration date, but she couldn't worry about that now. As her mom lifted her water glass with a shaky hand, she said, "Mom, are you okay?"
"I don't know if I made the right choice," her mother said. "I've lived on the farm for so long. I don't know how to be in this world. What will I do for money, for a place to live?"
"You'll live with me," Linda said. "Money won't be a problem. You don't need to worry about that. I can take care of you, Sara. You just have to let me."
"And let me," she added.
"I don't want to burden either of you." Her mother's gaze softened as it settled on her. "It sounds like you have a good life, Emmy. I don't want to mess that up."
"I won't let you mess it up," she said. "I'm not a child anymore. I'm in complete control of my life and my happiness, and I want you to be in control of yours. Aunt Linda and I aren't trying to take over where Elias and Jeremy left off. We want to be there to support you in rediscovering your life."
"If I'm going to be well enough to have one," her mother said darkly.
"Well, you have a better chance now of that happening," she said.
"It was good you went to live with Linda," her mother said, meeting her gaze. "She taught you how to be strong. I've made so many mistakes in my life. Having you wasn't one of them, Emmy, but taking you to Haven was. You liked it there in the beginning. It was fun to be on a farm, to play with the animals and the other kids. But I could see as you got older what kind of life you would have, and I didn't want that. That's why I let you go."
"You should have come with me, but that's in the past. We need to look forward, not back."
Her mother slowly nodded. "I know you're right. I'm just not sure I can do that. I feel so strange, so out of my element." She put her napkin on the table. "I'm tired. Do you mind if I lie down in the bedroom?"
"You should rest," she said as her aunt concurred.
Seeing her aunt's worried look follow her mother into the house, Emmalyn said, "Do you think she's going to stay here? Or will she panic and find a way to get in touch with someone at Haven to come and get her?"
"She doesn't have a phone or any money. I don't think she can just walk out of here, but I'm going to keep an eye on her," Linda replied.
"It was smart of you to bring her to a place that doesn't belong to you. They might come after her."
"They might come after you, Emmalyn," Linda said. "Jeremy saw you. He might track you down, try to use you to find out where your mom is."
"Well, I'm not scared of him. I used to think he was so powerful but seeing him today—he just looked like an angry but weak man. He cowered in front of Hunter."
"He might come with reinforcements," Linda warned. "Or a weapon. We're just lucky he didn't have one on him at the market."
"I understand, but I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. You need to focus on Mom and getting her to a doctor."
"I already have an appointment set up for tomorrow. I was being optimistic," she added with a sheepish smile. "I figured if she didn't come, I'd cancel it like the others I've made for her in the past. But seeing you did the trick."
"I'm not sure about that. She's finally more scared of dying than leaving."
Her aunt nodded. "It was still good for her to see you."
"I'm glad it worked out. Can I help you clean up?"
"No. I've got it from here, Emmalyn. You don't have to do anything else, but you are welcome to come and see her whenever you want. It's up to you."
"We'll talk," she promised, giving her aunt a hug before they left.
As Hunter drove away from the house, she felt as if a weight had slipped off her. "Thank you," she said gratefully. "Not just for preventing Jeremy from grabbing my mom, but for supporting me and my crazy, dysfunctional family."
"You are an interesting trio," he said lightly.
"Interesting is a nice word for it."
He flung her a smile, then said, "You and your aunt are two of the bravest women I've ever met."
"My aunt is, for sure."
"So are you, Em. Your mother is lucky to have both of you. I hope she'll be able to get better and find a new life for herself."
"I hope so, too, but I'm not convinced she won't run back to them at her first opportunity."
"Well, you can't prevent that. If she does, it's on her."
"I know." She let out a sigh. "My mom has always been my secret shame. That's why I turned her into a heroic person in my stories. But you saw who she really is today. She's very weak."
"She is who she is, Em. She made choices a long time ago that changed the course of her life. Whatever shame there is or isn't—it's not yours. It's hers. You were a kid. She made the decisions for both of you."
"I know. I just wish she was a better mom. That sounds terrible, doesn't it?"
"It sounds like the words of a disappointed daughter, but one who has every right to feel that way."
"Thanks." She paused. "What's your mom like?"
"She's a strong person, very loyal, protective, much like your aunt. She held the family together when my dad was deployed, and she ran a tight ship. Because she also had to work, she had a lot of rules, and my brother and I were expected to follow them. We were also expected to contribute, so there were plenty of chores, and grade expectations were high."
"She sounds great."
"She was good, but she could be rigid. She liked to have control, and when she didn't have it, it really rattled her. That caused a lot of problems in her marriage to my dad. My father's job always took precedence, and she couldn't control where he was going to be sent or how long he would be gone, or anything really."
"That must have been difficult and lonely, too."
"I think she was very lonely. And that made her angry. When my father was home, they fought a lot. He would go against the rules she had set, and that would piss her off because he didn't respect how she was running the house, and she didn't think he appreciated her hard work." He paused. "But things got worse when my dad was injured during one of his tours, and he came back with not just physical injuries but also mental issues."
"That's terrible," she murmured, wondering if his dad's issues had weighed on him when he'd gotten injured.
"It was bad for a few years. My father didn't want to admit he had PTSD. He started drinking and self-medicating. My mom couldn't convince him to get help, and that made her frustrated and angry. They really started to hate each other then. It was not a fun place for any of us to be. The day I graduated from high school, my mother told me she was leaving my dad. That she couldn't do it anymore. She'd waited as long as she could. My older brother was already in college, and I was on my way. It was time for her to have a life. I couldn't disagree."
"It still must have been difficult to have your parents break up."
"It was kind of a relief, to be honest. She got married again when I was in my early twenties. Her second husband is a dentist. He doesn't go anywhere without her."
She smiled at that. "And your father?"
"He eventually got help, and then he retired. He moved in with a very nice woman a couple of years ago. She runs a café, and my dad, who never did a dish in his life that I remember, is now wearing an apron and helping out the restaurant." Hunter shook his head in disbelief. "They both did better the second time around. I'm just sorry we all had to spend about ten years in hell before they broke up."
"They were trying to keep the family together."
"I'm not sure it was good to grow up in that kind of constant conflict, but I appreciate the efforts they made."
"And your brother. Where is he now?"
"Brett is currently stationed in Germany."
"Is he a pilot as well?"
"No. He is boots on the ground and loves the action up close and personal. My dad was the same way. I was the only one who wanted to fly."
"Have they ever visited you at Ocean Shores?" she asked curiously. "Not to sound like a nosy neighbor, but I've never noticed you having any visitors."
"They've never been there. And everyone at Ocean Shores is a nosy neighbor," he said with a teasing smile.
"Why haven't any of your family members come around? You've been going through such a hard time. It sounds like you all care about each other."
"We're very independent. We live separate lives now. We have for years."
"Still…"
"They all came to the hospital after the crash. I was airlifted to Germany. My brother was already there. My father and mother both came to see me, but I was in a bad mental space, and I didn't want them sitting by my bedside. I wanted to be alone. I was in too much pain to deal with them, so I told them if they wanted to help me, they should go away."
"I wouldn't have gone even if you had told me that."
He gave her a quick look. "Why not? It's what I wanted."
"Because you clearly weren't thinking straight, and they must have known that."
"Well, they did stay for a few days, but eventually they took me at my word and left. They do check in."
"And what do you tell them when they check in?" she asked. "Let me guess. You're fine. You're healed. And you don't need any help."
"Good guess."
"But none of that was true for a long time, Hunter."
"There was nothing anyone could do to help me, Em. I had to get better on my own. And I did." He paused. "Just like you did. We're both survivors."
"That's true."
Silence fell between them for a moment, then Hunter said, "I understand a little of what your mother is feeling now."
"You do?"
"Yes. She knows she's going to have to change her whole life, and even though a part of her wants to be free, there's a part of her that feels like she doesn't deserve to be free after the bad choices she made. After she let her daughter go."
"I think she's convinced herself that by letting me go, she saved me."
"She probably had to convince herself of that. It was the only way she could live with herself."
He had a point. "That's pretty insightful," she said.
"I have my moments."
"Do you think she'll try to go back to Haven?"
"I don't know. Sometimes it's easier to go backward than forward."
She thought about that, wondering if he was talking more about himself than her mother. "Do you think returning to your job is a step forward or backward?"
He didn't answer right away, then he said, "I'm not sure. But I'm going to find out."
When they got home, they found Paige, Henry, and Olivia sitting at a table in the courtyard, eating ice cream. Kaia and Lexie were stretched out on loungers by the pool while Gabe and Madison were in the water, tossing a beach ball back and forth. Josie, Frank, Maggie, and Skye were at another table playing bridge. Skye was apparently the latest person to be roped into being a fourth for their card game.
Seeing all her friends having a good time on a beautiful Sunday stripped the dark thoughts from Emmalyn's mind. This was what she loved most about Ocean Shores and the family she'd found there. Even when she felt out of sorts, as soon as she came home, she felt better. Smiles, laughter, and conversation lightened the tangled and deep emotions of the last few hours.
As they joined Paige and the kids at the table, Olivia burst into a long, rambling story about the movie, with Henry joining in to add his excited thoughts. Clearly, the kids had had a great time.
When Olivia finally came up for air, Hunter said, "Thanks for taking Olivia, Paige."
"She was a delight, and Henry was happy to have a friend," Paige replied. "They want to go swimming, but I thought I should wait and ask you before they went in the pool."
"Can I go, Hunter?" Olivia asked, a plea in her gaze.
"Sure. As soon as you finish your ice cream," he replied. "And I'd be happy to watch both of them if you want a break, Paige."
"Well, I have to put some laundry in, so I wouldn't mind you keeping an eye on them for a few minutes, if that's okay."
"No problem."
"I'm done," Olivia said, popping the last of her ice cream into her mouth and jumping to her feet.
"Great. We'll get changed and meet you back here." He paused. "Do you want to join us in the pool, Emmalyn?"
"Uh, I don't feel like swimming, but I'll hang out for a bit." The last thing she wanted to do was go upstairs and be alone in her apartment, where she would have way too much time to think.
As the four of them went to change into bathing suits, she made her way over to Lexie and Kaia, taking a seat on the lounger next to Kaia.
"You're getting red," she told her friend.
"As always," Kaia said with a sigh as she sat up. "The curse of a redhead. I'll take a dip, then lather up again."
As Kaia joined Madison and Gabe in the pool, Lexie smiled and said, "You should put on a suit. It's hot out here."
"I got a lot of sun yesterday at the beach."
"I heard you took a surf lesson. Liam was excited about that."
"It was more of a boogie board lesson and geared to six-year-olds, so I don't think anyone should be too excited."
"Well, you have to start somewhere. Speaking of starting somewhere…"
She shook her head. "Don't get any ideas, Lex."
"How can I not? You and Hunter are spending a lot of time together. Paige said you were going to a farmers' market, but that was hours ago, and I couldn't help noticing neither of you came back with anything."
"That's true. We just looked around and ate some lunch." She didn't want to get into the longer story now, but maybe someday she would tell her friends about her past. Just not today.
Lexie smiled. "No one cares if you are interested in each other. You know that, right?"
"For no one who cares, you have a lot of questions," she returned.
"Well, I'm curious. Hunter has always been a mystery."
"I'm just helping him with Olivia."
Lexie gave her a doubtful look. "Olivia was with Paige, and you were with Hunter, so…it's not just about Olivia."
"Maybe it isn't all about her," she conceded. "I'm enjoying getting to know Hunter, but he's on his way out. Once he's cleared for duty, he'll be gone."
Lexie nodded with understanding. "I get it. It's better not to invest too heavily in someone who has a foot out the door."
"Exactly."
"But in the meantime, you can have fun."
Lexie echoed Paige's earlier words. She didn't know if she could call the time they'd spent together fun, but there was still the afternoon, and it was a beautiful day. "Maybe I will go change into my suit," she said.
"Excellent idea," Lexie said. "I'll save you a seat."